July 2020

Again, July was long and hot. Stuck in the apartment so much as Charleston, SC shut down so much for quarantine. We spoke on the phone twice a week, so Taylor didn't write much this month.

John got re-baptized. Taylor enjoyed watching him regain his testimony after being away from the Church.

They continued to teach Tyler and help him with many struggles in his life.

In late June a new mission president from Ghana was supposed to arrive. Due to travel and Covid 19  he was delayed. A temporary mission president was sent to the mission. This is the 3rd mission president Taylor will serve under in only 9 months out!

Elder Jenkins and Elder Christianson made another video!

Quarantine Crazy

June 22 ,2020 

We got to move an abandoned car onto a trailer so they could redo the parking lot, which they never did. 

We had service mowing and weed whacking someone's lawn... that was quite a chore. I forgot how thick the grass is in the south.

We had a scripture bash with a 19 year old from South Africa. She definitely had some anti pulled up to try and stop us but it didn't really work. #knowyourbible

Elder Christiansen hooked a gator and it snapped the line. We have lost so many fishing lures at this point. 

We had a great lesson with Tyler on enduring to the end and testimonies. He bore his at the end! We also found someone to fellowship him which is great! 

John's records are on the way so he should hopefully be able to get re-baptized soon!

I'm going semi-crazy with all of the quarantine stuff still in place.

A little video Elder Jenkins and Elder Christianson made for Facebook.

Elder Christianson and Elder Jenkins

Slow Summer

 June 15, 2020

Tyler is doing good and so is John. He said he wants to get baptized soon. So we are working with him on that. 

Not much happened this week. We are starting to talk to more people, we also had a good bible study with a lady that wanted help understanding the scriptures. 

***Editor's note: The days were long and slow in Charleston. Sometimes Taylor didn't write much in his letter because we were able to video call twice each week.

One story he shared with us during this time is of particular interest. A companionship in his district was contacted on Facebook by a Christian pastor in Pakistan. The pastor asked the Elders to teach his whole congregation a lesson. The Elders would teach and the pastor would then translate to his congregation.  

This was a testament to us of the unique ways of how the work of the Lord continues. 

Testimony

June 8, 2020 

A guy we found on Facebook ended up wanting to bash.  We had a few conversations but not any fruit. 

John had a "church" with us Tyler had to cancel cause of an early father's day thing for his dad.

Kind of a testament/ reply I send about scriptures Abinadi was teaching.

It looks like we have a bit different views on the godhead. At first look it looks like Abinadi is teaching that they are one, but they are not. I believe they are separate. Jesus was with God, in the beginning, Jesus Christ helped him create all things. 

The Joseph Smith translation of that verse in John 1:1 Is 

1 In the beginning, was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God. 

We see that the Son existed before he was born as a spirit and God created him. They are referred to as one because they are one in purpose they are focused on bringing us back to him. 

The son came to earth to suffer for our sins and to die on the cross and be resurrected so we could live again. He fulfilled what was prophesied of in the old testament. 

This is shown in Matthew 26: 39-42

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

In the garden he suffered great pain and in Luke, he describes him even sweating as great drops of blood. 

But verse 42 he asks the father to take this cup or the suffering from him. He wouldn't pray to himself if they were the same person. This is a great sacrifice showing the son a separate being, God's son who fully followed the will of the Father. How powerful that Jesus Christ followed his Father no matter the cost.

He then testifies that they are separate in the book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 11:32 

32 And this is my doctrine, and it is the doctrine which the Father hath given unto me; and I bear record of the Father, and the Father beareth record of me, and the Holy Ghost beareth record of the Father and me; and I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me.

They are separate but work with one purpose 

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. He is the Son of God and he is separate from the father. They are individual and work together to bring us unto Christ. I know this because I have prayed and have received a witness. I have come to know the true doctrine of God and have looked for fault in the doctrine and there is none, and if there is it is the weakness of men that has caused it, because God is perfect. The Book of Mormon and the Bible testify of each other and they are the key to my testimony. They are how I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet who truly established Christ's original church with apostles and prophets upon the earth. They are "the fruits" that I know them by.

Ouch

 June 1, 2020

We committed Tyler to keep the word of wisdom and had a mini sacrament meeting. 

John fell through for our lesson, but he had a legit reason.

I sprained my ankle playing basketball so that's not fun. 

It's pretty hot here.